Manic-1
Encyclopedia
Manic-1 is a hydroelectric
power station
and dam
at the mouth of the Manicouagan River
3 km (1.9 mi) west of Baie-Comeau, Quebec
, Canada
. The power station was commissioned between 1966 and 1967 and producing 184 MW, it is the smallest of the Manicouagan-Outardes project.
s and an aluminum smelter. This power station was further supported and regulated by the McCormick Dam
on St. Anne lake which Hydro-Québec
had completed by 1959. However, as plans for the Manicouagan-Outardes project progressed, engineers discovered that water flow at the mouth of the Manicouagan could be better utilized. At Hydro-Québec's request, the Manicouagan Power Company further upgraded the McCormick plant's capacity to 190 MW. Additionally, Hydro-Québec decided to built the Manic-1 generating station adjacent to and augmenting the existing plant and dam.
s on either side. The western dike is 280 ft (85.3 m) long while the eastern dike that connects to the McCormick Dam is 370 ft (112.8 m) long. The tailrace or downstream portion of the dam is a 2000 ft (609.6 m) long, 72 ft (21.9 m) wide and 280 ft (85.3 m) deep trench that was dug during construction. The power station's hydraulic head
is 120 ft (36.6 m) but can vary between 113 ft (34.4 m) and 128 ft (39 m) because of sea tide
s.
At the time of the plant's commission, Manic-1 is was expected to operate as a peaker plant
, generally run only at times of high demand for electricity, known as peak demand
. It was expected to generate 40 gigawatt-hours annually.
Hydroelectricity
Hydroelectricity is the term referring to electricity generated by hydropower; the production of electrical power through the use of the gravitational force of falling or flowing water. It is the most widely used form of renewable energy...
power station
Power station
A power station is an industrial facility for the generation of electric energy....
and dam
Dam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
at the mouth of the Manicouagan River
Manicouagan River
The Manicouagan River is a river in Côte-Nord region of Quebec, Canada. The river originates at the Daniel-Johnson Dam of the Manicouagan Reservoir and flows approximately south, emptying into the Saint Lawrence River near Baie-Comeau...
3 km (1.9 mi) west of Baie-Comeau, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. The power station was commissioned between 1966 and 1967 and producing 184 MW, it is the smallest of the Manicouagan-Outardes project.
History
Between 1949 and 1956, to keep up with increasing electricity demands, the Manicouagan Power Company constructed and upgraded a 126 MW hydroelectric power station on the falls of the Manicouagan River' mouth. Electricity demand continued to rise with the construction of local grain elevatorGrain elevator
A grain elevator is a tower containing a bucket elevator, which scoops up, elevates, and then uses gravity to deposit grain in a silo or other storage facility...
s and an aluminum smelter. This power station was further supported and regulated by the McCormick Dam
McCormick Dam
The McCormick Dam is a dam and power station built on the Manicouagan river by the Quebec & Ontario Paper Company and the Canadian British Aluminium Company east of Baie-Comeau, Quebec, Canada. It is named after colonel Robert R...
on St. Anne lake which Hydro-Québec
Hydro-Québec
Hydro-Québec is a government-owned public utility established in 1944 by the Government of Quebec. Based in Montreal, the company is in charge of the generation, transmission and distribution of electricity across Quebec....
had completed by 1959. However, as plans for the Manicouagan-Outardes project progressed, engineers discovered that water flow at the mouth of the Manicouagan could be better utilized. At Hydro-Québec's request, the Manicouagan Power Company further upgraded the McCormick plant's capacity to 190 MW. Additionally, Hydro-Québec decided to built the Manic-1 generating station adjacent to and augmenting the existing plant and dam.
Characteristics
The Manic-1 Dam consists of a concrete center portion that houses the power station and two rock-fill dikeLevee
A levee, levée, dike , embankment, floodbank or stopbank is an elongated naturally occurring ridge or artificially constructed fill or wall, which regulates water levels...
s on either side. The western dike is 280 ft (85.3 m) long while the eastern dike that connects to the McCormick Dam is 370 ft (112.8 m) long. The tailrace or downstream portion of the dam is a 2000 ft (609.6 m) long, 72 ft (21.9 m) wide and 280 ft (85.3 m) deep trench that was dug during construction. The power station's hydraulic head
Hydraulic head
Hydraulic head or piezometric head is a specific measurement of water pressure above a geodetic datum. It is usually measured as a water surface elevation, expressed in units of length, at the entrance of a piezometer...
is 120 ft (36.6 m) but can vary between 113 ft (34.4 m) and 128 ft (39 m) because of sea tide
Tide
Tides are the rise and fall of sea levels caused by the combined effects of the gravitational forces exerted by the moon and the sun and the rotation of the Earth....
s.
At the time of the plant's commission, Manic-1 is was expected to operate as a peaker plant
Peaking power plant
Peaking power plants, also known as peaker plants, and occasionally just "peakers," are power plants that generally run only when there is a high demand, known as peak demand, for electricity.-Peak hours:...
, generally run only at times of high demand for electricity, known as peak demand
Peak demand
Peak demand is used to refer to a historically high point in the sales record of a particular product. In terms of energy use, peak demand describes a period of strong consumer demand.- Peak load :...
. It was expected to generate 40 gigawatt-hours annually.
See also
- McCormick DamMcCormick DamThe McCormick Dam is a dam and power station built on the Manicouagan river by the Quebec & Ontario Paper Company and the Canadian British Aluminium Company east of Baie-Comeau, Quebec, Canada. It is named after colonel Robert R...
- Jean-Lesage generating station
- René-Lévesque generating station
- Daniel-Johnson DamDaniel-Johnson DamThe Daniel-Johnson Dam , formerly known as Manic-5, is a multiple arch buttress dam on the Manicouagan River which creates Manicouagan Reservoir. The dam is composed of 14 buttresses and 13 arches and is north of Baie-Comeau in Quebec, Canada...
- History of Hydro-QuébecHistory of Hydro-QuébecHydro-Québec is a government-owned public utility established in 1944 by the Government of Quebec. The company is in charge of the generation, transmission and distribution of electricity across Quebec. Its head office is located in Montreal.-Origins:...
- List of hydroelectric stations in Quebec